Not Quite Happily Ever After
by 22671991
Summary: Set postHiME. Someone suggested I should write more for these two, so I tried. It's surprisingly difficult. This is just a little oneshot piece done in seven hours. MaiNatsuki suggestion. Shiznat fans beware, as always.


Summer had come at last. The sharp cold bite in the air had finally softened with the warmth of the sun rising higher and higher with each day. Gone were the frequent showers, the overbearing dark patches of cloud that scurried to and fro far overhead seeking to drench the local populace at a moment's notice, the dark tint in an often cloudless sky. Soft fluffy patches of smudged white chalk were now a recurring feature in the pastel blue sky, drifting lazily here and there with the gradually dying breeze, providing intermittent cover for a sun that was growing hotter every day. The tempestuous but short-lived squalls that ripped their way across the sea and often onto land had died down, to all but the occasional shower, and the gentle, regular foaming of waves on sandy beaches.

That afternoon was just comfortably warm, early enough to be still bearable before the real heat of summer hit. All around the neatly trimmed grass wafted in the breeze like a lime green sea. Mai felt it tugging at her hair too, shaking it all about, but she didn't care. It didn't bother her enough to warrant getting up, it was far too comfortable where she was, lying on her back and staring up at the sky.

"That one looks like a fish."

Mai followed the outstretched hand along one finger, up toward the sky, trying to see. What she saw in the end was a formless blob of white.

"I don't see anything," she argued sceptically.

"I swear, it's a fish." The hand descended slowly, arcing outwards, to fall limply atop Mai's upturned midriff. "I don't know how you can't see that."

Mai giggled. "You and your imagination," she teased, turning her head to one side to regard the other girl beside her. "I never knew you could be so creative."

Natsuki pouted and crossed her arms over her chest in a gesture of feigned disapproval. "It's not my fault. There's a lot to me you don't know." She pointed up towards the sky yet again with one finger, nodding at whatever it was she was looking at this time. "That one right there, that looks like my bike."

"Silly…" Mai shook her head. That same lyrical little chuckle barely escaped her lips, as if she couldn't even be bothered to laugh. It was just such a peaceful, lazy afternoon.

"It is," insisted Natsuki. "You just have to…tilt your head and…sort of squint a bit."

Mai tried it, but all she got was a giant airborne umbrella. She giggled, leaning her head back against the grass.

"This was your stupid idea anyway," Natsuki huffed, rolling over onto her side so she could return her attention to her previous task of counting blades of grass. At least, that was what it looked like, but it was hard to tell in the end. "I have no idea why I hang out with you."

"Because I don't bug you about stuff," offered Mai hopefully. "Because I don't give a crap how little time you spend actually attending school like most people?"

Natsuki refused to answer, which only brought another chuckle from the redhead. How it drifted from cloud-gazing to navel-gazing was rather hazy, but Mai eventually realised she was staring and politely averted her gaze from the oft-times rather shy dark-haired girl sprawled out on the grass beside her. She looked down at her feet, blunt points of black shoes sticking up over the curve of her chest, like two colossal black mountains on a rolling orange and white horizon.

Damn, was it ever boring. Maybe she could….no. What a stupid idea that would be. What would Takumi say? And besides, everybody expected her back after lunch as always, and she was never one to risk invoking the wrath of her teachers. Unlike some…

Mai twisted her head to the side again, taking another look at the dark-haired girl not an arm's length away. Her head was ducked down as if in sleep now, her eyes closed or narrowed intently, delicate fingers fidgeting with a few blades of grass. Natsuki wouldn't care. Natsuki did it all the time, taking her own personal leave of absence no matter what anybody said about it, teachers or students alike. It didn't seem to matter to her at all.

But where was there to go? Mai rummaged in her brain, while her eyes remained idly fixed on those delicate fingers. She could always visit the rose garden again, unless Mashiro was there. The young principal might not take too kindly to having her hanging around while skipping class. Then she could visit the beach, but that would probably be too cold at this time of year and there would probably be someone from town who might recognise her.

She stood up with sudden resolve, the idea slotting itself together in her head bit by bit even as she ran through it. No time to think things out in advance or worry over whether she was doing the right thing, Mai convinced herself, this time she was going to be impulsive. And nobody was going to stop her.

Why she had to go and grab Natsuki by the wrist would forever remain a mystery, in hindsight, but it turned out to be a good idea after all.

"Come on," she insisted, tugging gently, urging the other girl to her feet. "We can go flying."

"Flying?" Natsuki looked up at her incredulously, but made no apparent move to resist. "Now you really are being weird."

"Come _on_," Mai repeated more earnestly. She turned and smiled that impish smile of hers down at her companion. "It'll be fun, trust me."

Natsuki sighed, looked about for a moment, lowered her head, and sighed again. "Fine," she relented at last. "I'll come with you, if only to make sure you don't go blowing chunks out of the landscape again."

"You still won't let that go, will you?"

"No!"

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Down at sea level, around the academy grounds, it had been rather warm in the afternoon sun. Up high in the surrounding mountain forest, the air was crisper and colder, and a stiff breeze wafted through the trees all about, even though the sun was still as bright as ever and beaming down at them so vigorously. Mai was glad she had chosen to wear the rather more conservative winter uniform instead of the looser, cooler summer set. She wound the thick scarlet scarf once more round her neck, regardless of how moist her throat was becoming underneath, and stuffed her hands back into the pockets of her jacket.

Up here the forest was in control, as wild as it had ever been, and the only place to really get a decent view was right up on the top of a large grassy rise that tapered out into a staggered cliff face jutting out over the trees. It was cold, and rather windy, but it was worth it to see the island sprawled out below, Fuuka a tiny cluster of thumb-sized buildings down by the shore, and the vastness of open ocean stretching out to the horizon. The view was, in a word, breathtaking.

"Aren't you glad you came up here, now?"

"I have no idea how you talked me into this," Natsuki retorted, frowning pointedly at her. The dark-haired girl had foolishly chosen to keep only what she had been wearing; a black skirt that reached down to her slender knees, leaving her calves open to the cold, and a pale blue t-shirt with only a short grey jacket to keep the chill wind from her arms. She had both arms folded over her chest, hands curled into her sides, hugging herself tight to hold in the warmth.

_I just wanted to spend some time with you, that's all._ Except Mai knew she couldn't say something like that, it would just make her go all defensive as usual and that was the last thing she wanted. She ran through all the excuses she could think of, all the half-baked ideas and nebulous theories, in search of something that wouldn't be so completely transparent.

"How's Shizuru doing," she asked mechanically, mentally slapping herself. _Worst move possible. Nice going, Mai._ The shift of Natsuki's shoulders, the way she turned her head slightly to one side as if intently focused on the landscape, it was obvious that she had probed too far into sensitive territory. The dark-haired girl replied with only a dismissive noise.

Mai took a hesitant step forward, and then another, her eyes on Natsuki's back watching for those telltale signs. Signs she had come to recognise. She should be more in tune with it now, the way that mysterious mind worked, ever reclusive, ever wary of interrogation.

"Cold up here," she ventured at last, her voice as placid as she could manage without losing her natural good humour. "You should have brought something warmer."

"Yes, _mother_."

Mai giggled, moving closer again. "I'm sorry, I just…" She paused. "…I worry about you sometimes, okay? I wouldn't want you getting sick or anything."

"I'll be fine," Natsuki insisted, tugging her jacket a little tighter around her. Her knees were pressed idly together, one leg held straight with the other at an angle, foot cocked onto her toes. She didn't resist when a hand came to rest on her shoulder, thankfully. "I should learn by now not to go along with you and your weird ideas."

Mai could think of nothing valid to say, so she kept her big mouth shut for once and just stood there, staring out over the ocean, trying to enjoy the moment. Except that it could have been much nicer had she not totally ruined the mood.

Natsuki sighed deeply, her eyes now closed to the cold wind. "Thanks," she muttered in a tone that was barely audible. "For bringing me up here…I guess I really needed a little time to myself."

"No problem," Mai replied, hoping she could just fake it out. "I just don't like seeing you all wound up like that. You've been so…tense lately." Well that was practically the truth, anyway. Natsuki _had_ been rather standoffish of late, and conflict within the former group was the last thing they all needed. Especially after what Natsuki had gone through…

"It's not working out," muttered the dark-haired girl.

"What?"

"I said it's not working," Natsuki repeated more firmly. "Me. Her. Us."

"Us works." Mai ventured a hand across the dark-haired girl's shoulder blades, just a little proud of herself when no sign of rejection was forthcoming. "Whatever problems you're having, I'm always here to help."

Natsuki sighed again and leaned into the lopsided embrace, her head dipped to one side. A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I appreciate it," she replied, sentiment echoed deep in her tone of voice. "For everything that's happened, I'm glad I met you Mai."

"Why's that?"

"Whenever you're around…it's like you know how to make everything look less threatening. You make life more enjoyable."

Mai turned her head to hide the blush creeping through her cheeks, chuckling nervously. "Well…erm…thanks. You're pretty enjoyable your-that came out wrong."

Natsuki just shook her head, an idle giggle escaping her lips. "In any case, I just wanted to make sure you know how much I value our relationship. It seems like having you around makes everything a little easier to deal with." She turned in to the redhead's side and long, slender arms wound loosely about Mai's midsection.

"When we first met…" Mai hesitated to pick her words more carefully. "I never would have thought we'd ever be friends. You were so cold and disconnected."

"I had a good excuse."

Mai bit the tip of her tongue. "Yeah. Sorry."

"You're an idiot sometimes, Tokiha."

"Yeah," she admitted, grinning through it. "I guess I am. But at least I try my best, that's gotta count for something, right?"

Natsuki rolled her eyes derisively. "Was there a point to this," she mumbled impatiently. "Or were you just babbling again?"

"You're mean," Mai pouted back at her. "And yes, actually. I just can't help thinking about how mellow you always are. I know you're not the most social person in the world."

For a while, there was no reply. Mai felt arms about her waist tighten as another wave of cold air splashed up over the crest of the hill. She kept her face to the wind, despite the chill, and mentally tried to project her own body heat through her arm into the other girl's body. At last, Natsuki spoke in a subdued tone.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Mai turned her head, nose barely inches from a wave of dark hair falling down across the side of Natsuki's face. She stayed her tongue, knowing any kind of input would probably discourage any further disclosure.

"In as long as I can remember," Natsuki continued after another extended pause, "I don't think I've ever felt so at ease with anyone before." A soft pink was slowly working its way into her cheeks, though whether that was from the bitter wind was unclear.

"Even…" Mai paused warily.

"Even Shizuru," came the reply, as if the other girl had read her thoughts right out of her head. "It took her years to get so close to me, but you just jumped right into my life like it was no big deal and didn't mind if I got edgy about it."

"My brother says I have a way with people." Well it was partly true; she _did_ have a habit of getting to a person's good side. Most of the time.

Suzushiro.

Well she was just a bitch all on her own, Mai reasoned, in not quite those exact words. Certainly, she was an admirable person, but still generally a bitch.

"Yeah well…thanks for doing it, whatever it was you did."

_And thank _you_ for being there when no one else was._ Mai blushed, but smiled anyway.

"Any time."

The silence was deafening. For a long, long while, the two of them just stood there as if there was nothing better they should be doing, as if the world wouldn't mind if they took the day off. Mai was tempted, sorely tempted, to do just that, to disappear, lose herself in the forest and not come back until she felt like it, or until she was too hungry to stay away any more. Maybe the time alone would do her some good.

Maybe the time _together_ would do the both some good, she mused wistfully, and quelled the thought at once. Now she was just being silly.

"Come away with me."

Mai blinked. "What?"

"You heard me." Natsuki rounded on her, resolute, uncompromising expression set into those hard features. "I'm leaving Fuuka, for good. I'm not going to stay here any more. It's…it just…" She faltered, averting her gaze off to the ground. "Too many bad memories."

"I know what you mean," Mai reasoned, taking the other girl firmly by the hand. "But there's nothing stopping you from leaving whenever you want. Nobody can tell you what to do with your life, certainly not me…and not Shizuru," she finished, gnawing anxiously at her bottom lip.

"Idiot." Natsuki put a hand on the redhead's face, a contact that brought a slight flush to Mai's cheek at first. "I never said I'd leave you behind."

Mai gave her a sceptical look. "Now you're just being silly. How do you intend to bring us all with you, especially…"

"No "us"," Natsuki interrupted, her expression now much more focused, much sharper. "Just you. I want you to come with me."

Mai felt that flustered sensation coming over her again. Strange, she hadn't felt _that_ in quite a while now. "Just me," she asked in a subdued tone. "Are you sure?"

Natsuki shifted again. Now they were barely an inch apart. With one hand on Mai's neck, the other still resting on the redhead's hip and Mai's arms draped loosely over her shoulders, there was a definite mood developing. Natsuki seemed not to have noticed, judging by the look of definite intent on her face as she stared the other girl straight in the eye.

"Just you," she repeated with conviction. Mai couldn't stop herself blushing and squirming against the grasping hands. It was all getting just a tiny bit uncomfortable…

Suddenly she found herself relenting. Her hands joined behind Natsuki's neck, clasped tight, drawing herself toward the dark-haired girl with a steady confidence. It was all happening so fast, but it felt like it had been building for years. For a moment, Mai saw herself in Reito's arms…but that wasn't right. That had been a spur of the moment kind of thing, after all, just a flustered young girl acting on a schoolyard crush. This felt…

…right.

When it was over, there was no guilt welling in her heart. There was no uncomfortable feeling of regret. Why would there be? This was…

Mai broke contact, reeling backwards violently and flailing her arms. She took several quick steps backward, inadvertently toward the cliff edge, stopping only just in time. The fall wasn't on her mind, however. She was too busy replaying the last several seconds over in her mind, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. When Natsuki reached out a hand in comfort, she flinched away, but eventually allowed herself into a hesitant embrace.

"I'm sorry," mumbled the dark-haired girl. "Maybe I took that a little quick."

Mai opened her mouth to speak, found she had nothing intelligent to say and quickly shut it again before she did something stupid. Instead, she spent a few more moments gathering her thoughts, accepting the hug offered, and all the reassuring warmth it brought.

She turned at last, working her way out of tightly wound arms, to face Natsuki properly. The older girl was blushing quite profusely herself, much more so than Mai in fact, the scarlet tone spread from the line of her hair right down over her face, as far down her throat as was readily visible. She pointedly avoided eye contact, shuffling her feet on the soft grassy ground.

"I'll do it," said Mai with immediate certainty. She took one hand between hers and held it up against her chest in a recognisable gesture. "I'll come with you."

Natsuki just smiled at her. It was a slow smile, a very slight smile, but on the usually rather introverted girl it shone through like a floodlight. There was a gentle squeeze to Mai's hand, which the redhead returned eagerly, smiling right back.

"Just…promise you won't do that again, okay?"

"You mean…"

"…without my permission…"

Natsuki blinked and stared at her uneasily, expression unreadable. Mai averted her gaze. "Just…I'd prefer you ask first next time, if you don't mind."

"I'll remember that," Natsuki replied, smiling at her again. There ensued yet another pause, this one a tad uncomfortable, anxious.

"So? Are we going?"

"Are you going to kiss _me_ now?"

"…"


End file.
